The Kenya Defence Forces yesterday dismissed as propaganda an al Shabaab video in which a captured El Adde soldier begs Kenya to secure his release.
KDF spokesperson Col Paul Njuguna said the video is spin by the terror group to advance its agenda.
“Respectfully, I cannot respond to a propaganda video. That is propaganda,” Njuguna told the Star on the phone.
He declined to confirm whether soldier Leonard Maingi served in the military.
In the video released on Thursday, Maingi asks President Uhuru Kenyatta to withdraw troops from Somalia and negotiate his release and that of captured comrades.
There was no doubt, however, on the part of Maingi’s family that their son was alive. His mother Christine Nzilani urged the government to secure his immediate release.
On January 15, al Shabaab overran the KDF Amisom camp in El Adde, Somalia, killing an estimated 200 men.
Since the attack, the state has been silent, despite calls for answers. Uhuru and Chief of Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe promised an inquiry but have not
released any information.
It is believed about 12 soldiers were captured and Kenya says some officers were used as human shields.
Military analyst Andrew Franklin said government’s lack of transparency is disturbing.
“It is not right for the government to refuse to tell what happened, how many of its soldiers were killed and how many are missing,” Franklin said.
Kenya has previously said it will not negotiate with terrorists.
However, the Star has learnt government has for the last eight months made attempts to reach out to the militants using Somali elders to “convince” them release the soldiers.
Soldier, Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim who hails from Wajir is among the missing.